The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
PAGE 11 - March 27, 2013
From Dawn's Front Porch
Letter to the Editor:
Re: A New Day
Last Thursday, March 21st, the curtain went up on the final act in the Fulwood ver-
By Newscaster Contributor Dawn Clary
Finally It’s Official – A small but sincere crowd was there to see Ms. Debra Weiss
sus the City of Inglis, election/amendment lawsuit. At the 2:30 PM court commencement,
take the oath of office for the YT Council on the YT town hall steps. Shirley Kubistek per-
the Inglis city attorney sat at one table and petitioner Fulwood with his patronaged council
formed the honors and refreshments were served after the ceremony.
at the other, as Judge Ysleta MacDonald presided with courteous indulgence.
Bike Path History – The Park to Park Bike Path Committee met for the first time
Notably, the city’s attorney Norman Fugate, informed the judge that he wasn’t
in almost 2years. Fellow long time member Ruth Rupert and I reminisced about how long
actually participating because the “lame duck”, city council had instructed him not to rep-
we have been involved and how long the committee has been around. Neither of us could
resent the city at this hearing in which the petitioner had amended his suit to contest only
remember. I dug into my records, the committee incorporated in 1999. The name “Park to
Amendments #3 & #6. As a result, the remainder of the amendments would be exempted
Park” came from our dreams of having a path that ran from the South Levy Recreational
from the injunctive lawsuit. All of the amendments received 58% of the total votes cast in
park to the park at the end of the road, that was our goal anyway. The legal services to draw
the March 12th election!
up the papers were donated by a friend of Glen Spetz. Glen who has passed away, was
Mr. Fulwood’s counsel Mr. Joseph Lott, researched and presented case law and
a YT Council member and part of a group people who had gotten fired up about building a
Florida statutory law, arguing quite adeptly, that #3 & #6 did not meet the requirements
bike path, many of whom have passed away or moved. We had big meetings at the Inglis
called for in the law and/or did not qualify as acceptable city charter amendment questions.
town hall where maybe 50 people showed. Our Levy County Commissioner at the time,
After politely hearing from Greg Kirkland, chairman of the Concerned Citizens of Inglis po-
Sammy Yearty was a strong supporter and sprung for the money to have a route laid out by
litical action committee, who hoped for a continuance, Judge MacDonald informed the
an engineer. No small task, as he came out and plotted every single tree so that the path
courtroom that she would be ruling only on the legality of amendments #3 & #6, and she
could be built impacting as few trees as possible. We had an auction and sold everything
would do so in as short a time as possible.
from an antique bath tub to an organ. We sold inscribed bricks that are now the patch in
In a courtroom split down the middle with “lame ducks” on one side and hopeful
front of the YT School. Many people bought them in memory of someone. Finally Inglis
victors on the other, the positive air of pending change outweighed the adversarial circum-
and Yankeetown applied for a grant from Florida Department of Transportation to build
stances of litigation gloom.
a path along CR40 to the end of the road. Unfortunately at the time there was a matching
Inglis voters had their day on March 12th, and were decisively validated. Mr. Ful-
fund requirement so Yankeetown opted out with a promise from the county that they would
wood did not prevail in circumventing the citizen’s voice by vote. And now with two crip-
widen CR40 through Yankeetown to the end of road to include bicycling lanes. That never
pled amendments left, whose intentions rest with the newly elected Inglis council, one thing
happened. Inglis continued to pursue the grant. As almost a cruel joke on YT, the matching
above all others is certain - - change is on the way.
fund requirement was dropped, and Inglis was awarded the grant for what is now the side-
Inglis has dramatic examples of municipal revamping next door in Citrus County.
walk that runs from South Levy park to the school. It was completed in March of 2005 and
Not one incorporated community in Citrus is left with its own police force. Crystal River,
cost $897,888. The bike path committee has been sort of dormant since but maybe it will get
alone, has saved thousands of dollars annually by opting in to the county for emergency
fired up again and fulfill the dream.
services.
April is Water Conservation Month – SWFWMD has designated April as the
As a newcomer to Inglis, I would like to thank those who worked the election, Mr.
month to bring attention to the need to conserve water. Good Night and Good Luck
Fulwood for creating a situation generating a new awareness for the voting public about
political action, and those who served the community in the past and now for the future. I’m
glad we moved here.
Steve Kesterson, Sr. Inglis
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A new age bracket was added to the Inglis Recreation Committe (IRC) EasterEGGstravaganza at
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CASH
South Levy Recreation Park (SLRP) this year by President Lisa Flanders. The “Baby Crawl” for
those too young to run for the eggs was a real hit with young and old. The adorable little
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A fascination instead of fear with the Easter Bunny had cameras snapping. Over 100 adults
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and children of all ages enjoyed the party with the Easter Bunny who arrived on the Inglis
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scavenger hunt for the older ones and in general a lot of fun, food, prizes and some beautiful
weather. Helping the IRC team success were the YIWoman’s Club, Inglis VFW, Inglis AMVETS
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